Her abbreviated version of a hug made him smile in spite of his doubts. The part of him that was trained in medical knowledge was sulking in the far corners of his mind, grumbling about how stupid it was to let a patient go without seeking treatment.
Whether Rae had intended it or not, she'd put him in a bind. Elliot had always staved off giving medical advice to family members and friends for this very reason. Because it was their choice to heed that advice or not. If she'd been a stranger, he'd have insisted she visit the infirmary first thing. But she wasn't. And he couldn't bring himself to force her into doing something she didn't want to do.
Still, Elliot nodded when Rae thanked him. Seeing how pleased she was with his consent was enough incentive for him to put a stopper in his concern for now. She really wanted to be a part of this, and she'd agreed to honor his condition.
"Good, because if you had argued, I'd have had no choice but to either drag you to the infirmary, or toss you over my shoulder and carry you like a ragdoll." His tone was once again teasing as he let his arm slide from her shoulder and back to his side.
David told them to stay put while he dashed off to get Rae a cup of something warm to drink, and Elliot took an involuntary step in the direction his brother went, stopping himself when he realized he was being overly paranoid. Lips parted, he forced himself to take a steadying breath, scolding himself for being silly. It would only be a few minutes. Then David would be back and they could resume their reunion party.
Rae moved in front of him, then, and Elliot dropped his gaze to look at her. His lips pursed in an uncomfortable smile that warmed only a few degrees when the woman hugged him. Was the whole fiasco on the boat trip worth seeing his brother again? Was it worth risking Rae's life? It was... and it wasn't. That was the double-edged sword. Elliot didn't voice those thoughts, though. Instead, he chuckled, more from the amusement of seeing and feeling her tiny form drowning in the folds of his EMT jacket, than her attempted joke.
Elliot kept glancing toward the area he'd last seen his brother, only distantly aware that the hug had ended. Rae's voice cut through his anxiety, asking him how he felt, and Elliot let out a laugh. He rubbed his hand over his hair. "That right there is a loaded question, Rae. Every emotion you can probably think of." He looked at her and smiled. "And I can't thank you enough. For everything."